The Widow of Nain Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Jesus saw her, and he cared.”
One day Jesus went to a town called Nain. His friends went with him. Jesus’ friends were called his disciples. Disciples are people who learn from Jesus and follow him. A big crowd of people came too. Can you walk in place with them? Step, step, step.
Nain had a gate. A gate is a big door into a town. People went in and out through it, all day long. Jesus and his friends came near the gate.
Near the gate of the town, Jesus met another crowd. They were coming out of the town. These people were very sad. A young man had died. When someone dies, the people who love them are very sad. They were carrying him out to bury him.
The young man was his mother’s only son. He was not a little boy. He was a young man. And his mother was a widow. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. Now her only son had died too.
In those days, a grown-up son took care of his mother. But now her son was gone. Who would take care of her now? Many people from the town walked with her. She was crying.
When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her. Compassion means his heart was full of love for her. Jesus saw how sad she was. Jesus saw her, and he cared.
Jesus said to her, “Don’t cry.” He said it kindly and gently. But her son had died. What do you think Jesus will do?
Then Jesus came near. He touched the coffin, where the young man was lying. A coffin is a bed or a box for someone who has died.
The men who carried it stood still. They stopped walking. They waited to see what Jesus would do.
Then Jesus spoke to the young man. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” Arise means get up.
And the young man sat up! He began to speak. He was really, truly alive again! Can you sit up straight, all at once, like the young man?
Jesus gave the young man back to his mother. Her son was with her again! How happy his mother must have been! Jesus saw her, and he cared.
All the people were filled with fear and wonder. They praised God. To praise God means to say how great and good he is. “A great prophet has arisen among us!” they said. “God has visited his people!”
A prophet is someone who speaks for God. “God has visited his people” means God has come close to help them. Can you say it with me? “God has visited his people!”
Soon people everywhere were talking about Jesus and what he had done. The news about Jesus went out to the whole land and all around. Jesus saw her, and he cared.
Jesus is stronger than death. He is the Lord of life, and his heart is full of love. Jesus saw her, and he cared.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think the mother felt when Jesus gave her son back?
- What do you think the young man said first?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Young man, I tell you, arise!” — Luke 7:14 (Young man → point to a friend; I tell you → hand by your mouth; arise! → stand up quickly)
Dear Jesus, thank you that you see us when we are sad. Thank you that you care for us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Jesus cares about our tears
Memory verse: “When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Don't cry."” — Luke 7:13 · WEB
The Bible story
When a sad mother from Nain loses her only son, a gentle Teacher named Jesus walks up, feels her heartache, and does something no one expected.
Talk about it
- Where were Jesus and His friends walking to? — A town called Nain
- What was the crowd behind Jesus like? — Big and happy
- Who did they meet coming out of the town gate? — A very sad crowd
- Why was the mother so very sad? — Her only son had died
- How did Jesus feel when He saw the crying mother? — Kind and caring
- What gentle words did Jesus say to the mother? — "Please do not cry."
Where is Jesus in this story?
Long ago, the prophet Elijah raised a widow's only son and “gave him to his mother” (1 Kings 17:23). At Nain, Luke uses almost the same words: Jesus “gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:15). But Elijah had to pray hard, while Jesus simply spoke. Later Jesus himself rose from the dead and said, “I hold the keys of death” (Revelation 1:18).
What God wants to tell us
Jesus did not hurry past the sad mother. He stopped, He noticed her, and He cared about her tears. When you feel sad or lonely, you can remember that God sees you too. He is close to us when we are hurting, and His love is strong enough to turn sad days into happy ones. You are never, ever alone.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that You see me when I am sad and that You care about my tears. Thank You for Jesus, who is kind and full of love. Please help me trust You on happy days and hard days. Help me be gentle to people who are hurting, just like You. Amen.
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